Mountain Hardwear Chillwave Jacket - Women's Review

Warmth
The Chillwave is extremely warm. It is one of the warmest parkas in this review and is ideal for cold, snowy, and windy conditions.

Comfort & Coziness
Like most of the other parkas, the fit of the Chillwave is longer than a typical down jacket, which protects more of your body from the elements.

We are not sold on the detachable hood. If it is necessary to wear a jacket that is this warm, a hood would be wanted as well, and it doesn't seem to add much functionality by being able to take it on and off. Some of the casual parkas have detachable hood, but they seem more likely to be worn without a hood than a technical parka such as this one. The zippered seam where it detaches is just another spot where wind can leak into the jacket. The velcro closure in the front of the hood is nice because it closes in front of your face to keep your chin warm, however a gap is left under the velcro and wind comes right in. It would be warmer and more functional if is actually sealed closed in some way in front of your face. If you want to save a bit of weight and do not like having a hood, this jacket is also sold as a non-hooded option, which makes the detachable hood even less necessary.

Style & Construction
Aside from the Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Hoodie – Women's, the Chillwave is the only other parka that uses box-baffle construction. This allows the down to expand to its full loft, and eliminates cold spots at the seams. In general, this is a warmer construction method for jackets.

Another handy detail is the interior water bottle pocket, which is ideal for mountaineering when your water is likely to freeze, and it also helps to keep you warm when you slide a bottle full of recently boiled snow inside.

Durability
There are reinforced patches on the shoulders for added durability when wearing a pack. Overall this jacket holds up to a lot of hard use in the outdoors.

Wind Resistance
The 100% nylon 30D Ripstop AirShield fabric that makes up the outside of this jacket is windproof, keeping cold air from reaching your body. There is a drawcord inside the jacket around waist level that can be pulled tight to keep wind out and seal in even more warmth around your core. Velcro closures around the wrist cuffs serve the same purpose.

Water Resistance
The old version of this jacket, the Sub Zero SL, uses a highly water resistant material that is missing from this re-designed version. The nylon fabric repels water slightly, but it is not as protective as the version made with Conduit SL.

Compactness & Weight
The Chillwave is one of the heaviest parkas reviewed weighing in at 1.94 lbs. By comparison, the Rab Neutrino Endurance – Women's weighs 1.26 lbs. It does not stuff down into a pocket, though it fits in a rather large stuff sack. The Chillwave has a lower quality down than most of the other jackets which affects the compressibility. It uses 650 fill down rather than 800 fill down like the Rab Neutrino Endurance or the Patagonia Fitz Roy. This lower quality down is partly what makes the jacket so bulky and heavy, where if it was made with 800 fill down it would most likely be lighter but also more expensive.

Best Application
For very cold conditions, mountaineering, alpine climbing, and as a belay jacket, the Chillwave is an excellent choice.

Value
At $375 this jacket isn't cheap. However, you are paying for a thick and warm jacket with a windproof fabric that will offer great functionality and weather protection.

Other Versions
Mountain HardWear Chillwave Jacket - Women's
Mountain HardWear Chillwave Jacket – Men's
Mountain HardWear Chillwave Parka – Men's